Chapter 5 #3
As she rode the ferry home, Hailey shivered in the wind, even though it was another balmy evening. When Ciro released the ropes, fierce waves of protective need rose inside her, and she’d only wanted to hold him. This strong, sexy billionaire had exuded a vulnerability that shook her.
Somehow, a connection had been formed that went beyond the physical. He reached a part of her that she’d locked up for years, but her surrender didn’t make her feel weak.
Instead, a powerful strength in her newfound sexuality pounded in her veins. Though she’d been tied up and helpless, her Phantom made her surrender seem sexy.
Hailey had no idea sex could be like that. The previous assault pushed her to distrust her instincts. Tonight, she’d been a free, confident woman who held no shame demanding pleasure.
Even as her cheeks heated from the memory, a smile curved her lips.
Within these past hours, she’d reclaimed a precious gift.
Her sexual freedom.
Throughout their encounter, even though she was the one who was supposed to give everything, she never felt alone. Messy emotions stirred like a kicked wasp nest. Why did this simple arrangement seem to be more than what either of them had agreed?
Because this felt so much bigger than just sex.
It was something more like love.
The ferry docked. She made her way back to the hotel, thinking of what tomorrow would bring.
She took a shower, enjoying the hot water pouring over her aching muscles. She dressed in her pjs and crawled onto the mattress. The heavy four poster bed was quite comfortable, but her mind was focused on other bedrooms, ones with satin sheets and masked Phantoms.
Though she was exhausted, Hailey tossed and turned.
Where had the idea of love come from anyway?
Logically, she understood her body had finally been freed from bondage, and she was a little vulnerable.
She’d confessed something in her past that no one had ever known, not even Theodore.
Perhaps, almost like a therapist, she developed an attachment for the man who helped her.
At least, Hailey knew one thing. The years of denying her sexuality were over. She would move forward and embrace her physical desires, refusing to be shamed by them. Ciro Demitris had taught her that. Gratitude washed through her.
The phone rang.
She jumped and glanced at the name. Her heart leapt. “Hello?”
“Hailey?”
She smiled when she heard Theodore’s voice. “I’m fine.”
A sigh of relief echoed in her ear. “Good. I was a little worried. How’s the party?”
“Amazing. The island is beautiful, and the mansion is out of a movie. Way out of my normal league.”
“Doubt it. You were born for luxury. And a man who can spoil you.”
Goose bumps broke out on her skin. There was an intimacy tangled within his words she didn’t know how to analyze. “Well, I certainly don’t hate it.”
He gave a low laugh. “Am I going to have to ask? Or are you afraid to tell me?”
Hailey took a deep breath. “I met him. Ciro. He was dressed as the Phantom just like you said.”
“Was he everything you expected?”
“Yes. Even more.”
“Wow. You just met him. He must’ve made an impression.”
The hard edge to his voice made her stiffen. “He’s not what you think. He may have a lot of money, but he’s lonely. I feel like we connected.”
“Did you kiss him?”
She hesitated. Odd, she should feel almost guilty by telling her best friend. “Yes.”
A pause. “Your knees buckled?”
Hailey laughed. “Yeah, they crumbled right beneath me. We both agreed to keep our masks on and reveal our faces the final night. But I’m scared of unmasking. What if he sees I’m just this ordinary woman beneath all the makeup and costume?”
“What if he does?”
She sighed. “I guess you’re right. I’ve come too far to stop now. How are things on the home front?”
“The Bulls lost.”
“See, you should have come with me,” she teased.
“And cramp your style? Nah, someone has to get their full eight hours sleep.”
“Then why are you up at 6:00am on a Saturday?” she asked knowingly.
He made a gruff noise over the phone. “I wanted to make sure you were still intact.”
His voice in the dark was oddly comforting, and she thought once again how lucky she was to have a friend who cared so much about her. “Thank you, Theodore.”
“For what?”
“For always being there. For putting up with my moods and making me laugh. For being my best friend.”
“Man, are you in a mushy mood tonight,” he grumbled. “I only called to say good night.”
Hailey laughed. “My romantic hero. You always run away when I get emotional.”
“Yeah, yeah. How are the overnight accommodations?”
“Fancy. He blocked a whole bunch of inns on the island for his guests. I’m staying at this little bed and breakfast with a huge four poster bed. I thought I’d need a ladder to climb up.”
“Just don’t break a leg getting down.” He paused. “Hailey, did anything else happen between you two tonight?”
An array of erotic images flashed before her; images of the Phantom thrusting inside her, his tongue deep inside her mouth; his arms pinning her against the bed. She shuddered with the memory and opened her mouth to tell her friend everything.
Then realized she couldn’t.
Theodore would never understand the dark, secret part of her who longed to be a sexual being.
He supported her and kept her safe. He was sweet and kind and safe.
After his heart had been broken by his lover, he had closed a part off.
Hailey knew they had connected so well because she had done the same thing. Now, she wanted to be free.
But he was still trapped.
No, Theodore was better off not knowing the truth. Hailey took a deep breath and lied. “Nothing else happened.”
Silence hummed over the line. When Theodore spoke his voice was tight with emotion. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make you feel like that. Good night, Hailey.”
“Good night.”
She clicked off and stared out into the darkness.
A strange ache lay heavily around her heart and she wasn’t sure why.
Something in her friend’s voice made her miss him.
Almost as if he was as lonely in the darkness as she, and wanted to feel a connection.
His last words were so odd. How could he possibly know how she felt about Ciro Demitris?
Thoughts of Theodore whirled with images of her Phantom, until she closed her eyes to avoid the tangle of feelings and fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
Theodore stared at the phone and fell back on the pillows. Hands clasped behind his head, he thought of her voice and what she had shared with him tonight.
For the first time, there was no barrier between them.
Clothes had fallen away, skin touched against skin, but even more powerful was her gift of self.
He understood now all the moments she distanced herself from him, afraid of the past, afraid of wanting something that could burn out of control.
He needed to use these last nights to imprint himself into her so deeply she could never run away again.
The masquerade had been successful so far.
He made sure he stayed behind as the guests left, remaining in the same bedroom where he’d first spotted Hailey.
He hired his own private boat to pick him up at the mansion a half hour past dawn, so she’d never suspect the ruse.
Every last detail had been arranged, yet he still feared the final unmasking.
She was falling in love with him, yet she believed he was Ciro Demitris.
She was ripening before his eyes, and he was the one who had set her free.
But was Hailey ready to accept the terms of a real relationship, or would she now want to be free?
Would she crave to experience everything she had missed out on?
Would she turn away from him to embark on affairs?
He'd set up his plan in order to claim his lady. Yet, he now realized by setting her free, he may lose her forever.
Theodore turned out the light and gazed into the dark of the room. The question burned in his mind for a long while before sleep finally claimed him.